Millport

While we were on holiday in Millport we managed to see some of the local sights, both in and around Millport and Cumbrae in general but also across the ferry in Largs. Now, Cumbrea is also known as the Island of a Thousand bikes and its a truthful name, there are hundreds of bikes all over the place, in town, on the only road around the island, all over the bloody place! Now, I am not a fan of cyclists, if they had to pay road tax like I do to use my car on the road, I wouldn't mind, but they don't and they still act like they own the place, well, Cumbrea is a hundred times worse, as its not just cyclists but cyclists on holiday! I must have spend several hours crawling along behind cyclists meandering along the centre of the road at a snails pace, completely oblivious to the the fact that there was a car behind them. I think if I ever go to Cumbrea again, i'm taking my car, at least then they would have no excuse for not hearing me!

Anyway, rant over, the island itself was beautiful and peaceful, the local shops had everything that we needed and the kids were more than entertained. We did see some pretty special sights while we were there as well, the main one for us, being merchant navy people, was the PS Waverley, an old paddle steamer, build 1946 and was the last sea going paddle steamer build in the world. The day we saw her, she stopped at the docks right by the FSC centre to take on passengers and that meant that we got a good look up close at her. She looks in pretty good nick for a 70+ year old vessel, better that some of the newer ships we sailed on!

Quite a majestic shot of the old girl

One for scale, that's a kayaker just in front of the paddle.

We also spent some time of the beaches of Millport and if anyone has ever been to Millport, there are a couple of attractions you have to go see, the first being the monster on the beach. This is really just a painted rock, but its pretty well done and does actually look like a monster, at least when its not swarming with children anyway.

Upclose

Wider shot, showing the bay in the back ground

We also visited Largs one day, taking the ferry across the Clyde and while we didn't spend a lot of time there it seems like a nice place, a lot busier than Cumbrea, but that's to be expected. We mainly went across to go to the swimming pools and the Viking exhibition, which are both in the same place at the leisure centre, along side the theatre and pitch and put as well. A bit of an odd combination, but its a small town, so not surprising. I know what your thinking, we live in a place surrounded by Vikings, and we go to a Viking experience when on holiday! Well, the bairns enjoyed it, they also enjoyed the swimming, mostly I think because the little man got given some water pistols by another family who were heading home that evening and didn't have room in the suitcase for them! While we were in Largs we took in one of the other famous sights of the town, Nardinis Icecream. Now, i'm not sure what the real story is, but there are several Nardinis in the town, one in a big building that is also a restaurant and one that's is just an icecream parlor, but apparently, according to a friend who grew up there and also supported by what the icecream lady told us, its the one by the ferry that's the proper one, Nardinis at the Moorings, the other is just named after the building. In reality, I don't actually care, what I do know is that the icecream was very nice and the bairns loved the bright blue bubble gum icecream, which was good as I don't fancy eating it when they decided they didn't like it!

For anyone looking for a little get away from life and civilization, I can recommend Cumbrea and Millport, there isn't much there and not many people, perfect for getting away from it all.